Super Eagles goalkeeper, Carl Ikeme, has made it clear that he is just being himself and not replacing former captain, Vincent Enyeama.
“I wouldn’t say it was difficult. I was always aware that Vincent’s been the No1, captain and been an unbelievable goalkeeper for Nigeria, probably one of the best African keepers to ever play the game,” Ikeme told FIFA.com.
“I don’t really want to try and emulate someone else. I want to do it my own way and be the best I can be. I know people always want to compare goalkeepers to each other, but I’m just trying to concentrate on what I do and do the best for Nigeria.”
The Wolverhampton Wanderers stopper, also revealed his decision to play for Nigeria, has brought pride to his family.
“The thing that meant the most to me was how much it made my family proud – they were ecstatic. It made me feel really good that all my family in Nigeria were proud of me for representing my country. My granddad passed away a few years ago as well, so it was a good feeling to put the Nigeria shirt on knowing that he was looking down on me.
“The experience itself gives you a bit of confidence to know you’ve played international football and played against some of the best players in the world. It makes you believe you can play at this level, especially if you do well it gives you a bit of a boost.
“We’ve got some top talent in the team and when you’re playing with [John Obi] Mikel and [Ahmed] Musa it gives you a bit of confidence to say you can play on the same team with these people and you belong at the level. It gives you another goal as well to want to be a part of the next [squad].”
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